Plot
Why do Viola and Sebastian end up in Illyria?
A storm causes their ship to capsize.
What is Olivia's title?
Countess.
What century was Twelfth Night written in?
17th Century
What does the storm at the start of the play foreshadow?
Who says 'Even so quickly may one catch the plague?' and what they are describing with this metaphor?
Olivia describing the quickness of love.
Why does Maria help Sir Toby with his plot against Malvolio?
Malvolio tells Maria he will blame her for Sir Toby and Sir Andrew's drunken antics.
Sir Andrew is not related or employed by either Olivia or Orsino. Why is he in Illyria?
What would have been particularly ironic about the gender swapping in Twelfth Night for an Elizabethen audience?
The female parts were already being played by men, so Viola would have been played by a man, pretending to be a woman, pretending to be a man.
What is a soliloquy?
When a character reveals their inner thoughts in an extended monologue which only the audience can hear.
Who says the line "The lady bade take away the fool, therefore I say again, take her away."
Feste
Viola provides three pieces of information about her and Sebastian's father in the final act - name one.
Name = Sebastian
Mole upon his brow
Died when Viola and Sebastian were 13
What is the alter ego Feste adopts when torturing Malvolio?
Was Queen Elizabeth a misogynist?
Yes - she acknowledged that women were inferior to men, but argued she was special.
A motif is a recurring feature - a symbol, image, object, idea, action - that repeats across a text. What is a motif that is introduced in Act 1 Scene 1?
Music.
Who is Olivia speaking to when she says: "Nay, come, I prithee; would thou'dst be rul'd by me!"
Sebastian.
What are the initials (four letter in total) included in Maria's letter to Malvolio that cause him particular confusion?
M.O.A.I.
In addition to Viola/Cesario, Orsino has two other servants. Name one.
Curio + Valentine
The union between Viola and Orsino represents what societal shift?
Growing expectations within marriage for intellectual equality, and romantic love being an increasing consideration for marriage.
Why does Olivia speak in iambic pentameter (structured speech, ten syllables per line), but her uncle, Sir Toby speaks in prose (unstructured spech)?
Iambic pentameter usually indicates whether a character is of a noble class. While Sir Toby technically is, as he is a knight and related to Olivia, his use of prose indicates he has degraded himself due to his drinking and generally chaotic nature.
In the play, who authors the line "some
are born great, some achieve greatness, and some
have greatness thrust upon 'em"?
Maria.
According to Antonio, how much time has elapsed since the shipwreck?
Where are Sebastian and Viola from?
Messaline
Would this play have been acceptable if it was set in England?
No. Shakespeare purposefully sets this play in the far away location of Illyria so characters can engage in transgressive and outrageous behaviour, without offending the audience.
Orsino describes Viola as having lips smoother and more rubious than "Diana". Who is Diana?
Virgin goddess of chastity.
What are the last two lines of the play? Paraphrase is fine.
But when in other habits you are seen,
Orsino’s mistress, and his fancy’s queen.